Good Riddance: 9 Cars That Deservedly Got the Ax in 2013

Let's be blunt: Some cars deserve to die. And for these vehicles, the time is right nowthey're getting the ax as part of the 2013/14 model changeover. Want one of 'em anyway? Well, root around, pal, because somewhere there's a dealer who will kiss y

Let's be blunt: Some cars deserve to die. And for these vehicles, the time is right now—they're getting the ax as part of the 2013/14 model changeover. Want one of 'em anyway? Well, root around, pal, because somewhere there's a dealer who will kiss your shoes to remove this dead weight from inventory.

1 of 9

Chevy Avalanche

There's not much love left for the Avalanche. Even the discontinued (until 2015) Colorado/GMC Canyon midsize pickups outsold the Avalanche in 2013. It's understandable. The Avalanche always looked like it had too much junk in the trunk, even when driven unladen. Curb appeal? Not so much.

We admit to having a soft spot for the truck's system that let owners expand the length of the load bed via a door in the rear of the crew cab. It's a smart use of space. In execution, however, the Avalanche's midgate operation proved pretty complicated—the Honda Ridgeline, for example, had a much simpler system. The impracticality made the Avalanche a tough sell, and (along with mediocre 14 city/20 highway fuel economy) led to precipitously sliding sales, from nearly 90,000 units in 2002 to about 20,000 trucks per year over the past five years. GM sells twice as many Chevy Silverados in just one month.

Sorry, but if any vehicle deserves the ax, it's the Avalanche.

2 of 9

Cadillac Escalade EXT

Need a $64,000 Avalanche? We didn't think so. But that's basically what this is.

You could say that an ordinary Escalade is nothing more than a Suburban with better leather, but at least in that case Cadillac does a thorough re-skin so that all of the cosmetics feel compellingly unique. The Escalade EXT—or the "Escalanche," as many derided it—was transparently an Avalanche with (optional) 22-inch rubber and a gas-chugging 6.2-liter V-8 (the Avalanche's V-8 was a 5.3-liter.) Even so, the EXT had a slightly downgraded towing rating compared to the Avalanche, and was plagued by the same convoluted cockpit designs. And like its donor cousin, the 5-foot bed lacked the utility of a "real" pickup.

All of this explains why sales never got above a 13,400-unit high in 2002 and fell off a cliff over the last five years, barely cresting 2000 takers per year since 2009.

3 of 9

Acura ZDX

You know things are bad when sales of any non-supercar measure in the hundreds. Acura's ZDX, a coupe on stilts that's missing all the utility of the MDX it is based on, measured 775 sales in 2012.

While the auto press is far from perfect at foresight (remember: our tribe lauded the Aztek concept), the ZDX was drubbed on its debut in 2009/10. This was a hanging curve ball, though. To start with, Acura made the car look slick, but the sloping roof ate into the second-row doorway. The ZDX also doesn't have the MDX's third row, and ZDX buyers miss about 30 percent of the usable cargo space they'd otherwise find on an MDX. By the way, you paid about six grand more for so much less.

While the ZDX weighs about 175 pounds less than the MDX and handles reasonably well for a big crossover. It doesn't encourage sporty driving, but here there's a tradeoff: It's a very smooth riding rig, more so than some German crossovers with pretenses of aggression. Likewise, the 3.7-liter V-6 is excellent, smooth to rev, powerful, and silken. It's something Acura doesn't get enough praise for, but its engines tend to be a brand hallmark.

However, you can get all of that goodness in an MDX, an excellent luxo-family car that didn't need fixing. That, apparently, is the conclusion Acura has come to as well, finally killing the ZDX this year.

4 of 9

GMC Yukon Hybrid

Yukon sales tanked during the great recession, from 70,000-plus per year down to the mid-20,000 range. They're rebounding now, but buried in that data is the fact that the Hybrid never worked well and was a tough sell, especially for the brawny GMC brand. Plus, buyers were in for at least a $5000 premium to get into the Hybrid.

Yes, the Hybrid got better fuel economy compared to the SLT Yukon: 20/23 versus 15/21. But we would guess GM does a lot better with the next hybrid go-around for this platform. The Yukon Hybrid got only an antiquated four-speed mated to a secondary CVT. Two transmissions add complexity and weight. Then there's the weak logic of combining the larger 6.0-liter V-8 with the hybrid, so that towing capacity wouldn't be too greatly diminished. If you're buying a hybrid, wouldn't you rather give away more towing capacity for the sake of better mpg?

The biggest indicator that the Hybrid was an afterthought was probably the third-row seat that didn't fold and had to be physically removed to increase stuff-hauling capacity. That's the opposite of a "utility" vehicle.

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Ford Transit Connect

Don't worry, the Transit Connect isn't really going away. Ford is giving it a complete overhaul and getting rid of the Turkish-built orphan Americans have been getting for the past few years.

The reboot will come in a short- and long-wheelbase version. But what's most important is that the anemic and not particularly frugal drivetrain of the original Transit Connect will be upgraded to a 178-hp 1.6-liter EcoBoost I-4 or a 2.5-liter I-4, both mated to a six-speed auto. The outgoing drivetrain strained to keep up even with a modest load or a few passengers aboard, and no wonder. Its 136 horses had to be flogged through a four-speed automatic far more suitable to European urban driving.

We did like the Transit Connect in some ways, despite its flaws, because there's a lot of utility in this small, maneuverable van that gets mid-20s in fuel economy. And now you could get a used one cheap, because the do-over will be vastly superior.

6 of 9

Nissan Altima Coupe

What kind of sporty two-door comes with only a four-cylinder, and only a CVT? A "sporty" two-door bound to be discontinued, that's what kind.

Consider that the Altima Coupe's rival, the Honda's Accord Coupe, comes with either an in-line four or a V-6, either autobox or manual (a very good manual, we should add), and drives tighter and feels sportier. And comparing I-4 to I-4, the Accord Coupe manual gets superior fuel economy to the Altima Coupe and its unsatisfying CVT, even while achieving slightly better horsepower from a slightly smaller displacement.

If there's an irony here, it's that the Altima sedan is an excellent car and sportier than a lot of its four-door competition if you get the V-6. But lose two doors from the recipe and force folks to buy a CVT, and suddenly only rental fleets will want the Altima Coupe.

7 of 9

Volvo C30

If you're a fan of the C30, we feel you. Equipped with a manual six-speed gearbox, and especially in the hot 250-hp Polestar edition that got stiffer dampers, the C30 proved a compelling if odd little rocket.

But different is always a difficult sell. If you're BMW, you can typically shift something quirky like the 1 Series hatchback because you have a loyal following and a reputation for making sporty cars. Volvo doesn't have that leg to stand on, and this homage to its racy past doesn't easily pay forward.

In addition, the stock C30 is neither here nor there. It's not potent or pinned-to-the-ground-tight enough to fight as a true sports coupe, utility is greatly limited, and taller or thickly built buyers would find the car confining.

Volvo has new Chinese owners, and the brand's design direction and mission have changed. It wouldn't surprise us to see Volvo produce two distinct tiers in the future: one with a luxury bent and one sporty and affordable. It's a formula that Volkswagen has played to great success, and it typically leads to a lot more sales than does being quirky. Which is too bad.

8 of 9

Volkswagen Routan

There is nothing innately wrong with this VW van, with is based upon the Dodge Grand Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country. But who walks into a VW dealership to buy a Chrysler product? The answer is actually surprising: The Routan had nearly 11,000 takers in 2012. Still, the van has been toast since early this year.

If you're in the market for a Dodge/Chrysler minivan, and you can find one of these VWs that hasn't left the lot yet, we'd bet you can get one with a big VW badge on the hood for a deep discount. Depending on options, it might even make more sense than buying the same thing from Dodge.

Volkswagen has future plans for this segment and it's only logical that it come in with something entirely fresh and more compelling than the Routan. After all, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, and dominate the segment. There is room for other players, but you have to beat the stalwarts at their game, and that's not been easy.

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Suzuki Kizashi

Suzuki's done selling cars in the U.S. Officially, this happened last year, but there are still-new Suzukis sitting on lots nationwide, forlornly looking for buyers. So far,1602 Kizashis have sold as new in 2013.

The real shame for Suzuki is that its cars have soiled the good name of what remains an excellent brand for many U.S. customers. Ask anyone who's owned one of the company's motorcycles or ATVs what they think and you're apt to get a positive remark. But ask someone who bought the horrid Daewoo Magnus rebadged as a Suzuki Verona and we bet the feedback is more colorful and not nearly as cheerful.

The Kizashi is perfectly good transportation. Nothing glamorous but okay. By the time the decent ride debuted in 2009, though, it was much too late to save the carmaker's reputation in the U.S.

If you can find one, drive a hard, hard bargain, however. Repairs won't be as complex or as costly as getting that Saab you love to stay on the road, but that's not exactly a high bar—nor an endorsement.

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